Walkers urged to keep dogs on leads after deer death near Salisbury
Wiltshire Wildlife Trust described the incident as "distressing".
Last updated 7th Oct 2020
Dog walkers are being asked to keep their pets on short leads in nature reserves after a deer appears to have been killed by a dog at Landford Bog Nature Reserve.
The message has come from Wiltshire Wildlife Trust who own the site.
They say it seems that a dog was left off it's lead and was running unsupervised before the incident.
People who use their reserves for dog walking are being urged to make sure they are in control of their four-legged friend and using the paths at all times.
Dugald McNaughtan, Head of Fundraising and Communications for Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, said:
"We welcome well behaved dogs on our reserves so we're very much open to people on our reserves but the important thing is when owners bring their dogs to our wildlife reserves it helps to think of the site as a home for nature, a home for wildlife which is also a place for visitors and others to come too.
What people can do to help is keep their dogs on a short lead, it's obviously really important that they bag and pick up dog waste and dispose of it responsibly. Keeping to the main paths is also a really important thing.
It's not just the Wildlife Trust, any land owner or conservation body will tell you that dogs running free on nature reserves has become a major issue in recent years. Every dog, no matter it's size, has an instinct to chase and flush animals out and we understand that. Over the past year there have been several incidents of this nature. "
The Trust also said that the majority of visitors use their reserves in a sensible and correct manner, and they wanted to thank those people for doing so.
For more details on Wiltshire Wildlife Trust's nature reserves, visit their website.